Vacuum floor tool



NOV. 24, 1953 D, R, WQO'D 2,659,925 VACUUM FLOOR TOOL Filed June 18, 1948 ,Q6/0J' wood Patented Nov. 24, 1953 2,659,925 VACUUM FLOOR 'rooL Delos R. Wood, St. Paul, Minn. Application June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,735

2 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in a vacuum oor tool wherein it is desired to provide a vacuum head or attachment which will elfectively pick up material from the floor.

Vacuum floor tools of the conventional type have certain disadvantages. If the passage through the head is of large size, the air passing through the head will not travel at a suiiciently high velocity to do an effective job of cleaning. On the other hand, if the size of opening in the head is extremely small, the opening is apt to become'clogged or partially blocked by foreign particles being picked up and the resulting job accomplished is not most effective. Attempts have been made to provide suction cleaner attachments with apertures therethrough of different sizes which may be selectively used. In othery words, the cleaner head is provided with both a large opening through the head and also with a smaller opening therethrough, either of which may be selectively connected to the vacuum supply. However, such heads are subject to the same difculties as a head having a single opening therethrough and are somewhat larger and more awkward to handle. v f

It is the object of the present invention to provide a vacuum floor tool having an elongated inlet opening therein having an adjustable side wall. This side wall is swingable toward and away from the opposite wall of the opening. When the swingable wall is swung toward the opposite wall the opening into the vacuum head is of relatively small size. However, when the swingable wall is pivoted `away from the opposite wall an opening of large size is automatically produced. As a result the size of the opening into the head may be varied at will.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a vacuum head having an elongated inlet opening surrounded by a brush or wall of bristles. The bristle Wall on one longitudinal side of the opening and on the ends of the opening are secured in iixed relation. The other longitudinal bristle wall is swingable toward or vaway from the fixed longitudinal wall so as to vary the size of opening. l

` A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a cleaner head designed for connection with a suitable blower arrangement capable of producing a ow of air through the head and in providing a means of automatically varying the velocity of the air passing into the inlet of the head. If high air velocity is required to accomplish a certain cleaning task, the inlet opening of the head is restricted so as to produce this greater inlet velocity. Onv the other hand, if the head is to pick up a large piece of paper or other object of substantial size and of relatively light weight, the size of the inlet opening may be enlarged to accommodate such an object.'

An added feature of the present invention lies in the fact that my tool is self-cleaning in operation. Any dust or particle of material which enters the intake of the head and is held from passing therethrough by the restricted Size of the inlet opening will be automatically drawn' into the cleaner head as the size of the opening is increased. As the size of opening normally varies in usual operation of my device, this vai"- ation in opening automatically prevents the col'- .lection of foreign objects Within the device.

An added feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a vacum head which is pro-,- vided with an elongated. aperture normally arranged at right angles to the usual direction of travel of the head. One longitudinal edge of this opening is hinged in such a way that as the head is moved over the surface of the floor in one direction the size of the opening through the head is automatically decreased and as the head is moved in' the opposite direction `the size of the opening through the head is auto-'- matically increased. Thus the size of the `opening may be immediately changed by kmerely changing the direction of motion of the head.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specication and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specication:

, Figure l is a front elevational View of my vacuum licor tool showing the construction thereof.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational View of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the cleaner head.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the cleaner head showing the swingable door in closed position. c

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing the swingable door in open position. i

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of a modied swinging door or Wall construction.

The vacuum floor tool`A may be of various shapes to suit the machine with which it is used. A sample type of head `is shown for the purpose of illustration. In the particular type of construction illustrated the head A is designed for connection to a hollow handle I0 which is connected by a flexible hose or other similar `means 3 to a source of vacuum. Obviously the type of cleaner with which the head is used is not of importance in the present invention and has not been illustrated in detail.

'I'lle head A includes an elongated hollow body II having a pair of opposite upwardly sloping sides I2 and I3 which communicate with a rearwardly extending integral sleeve I4. As illustrated in-Figure 5 of thedravl/ings the elongated transversely ,xtenliilgbedy II isipr'vided 'with a substantially vertical rear wall I5 and a substantially parallel front wall I6. This front wall I6 is provided with a generally rectangularopening I1 therein for accommodation of the Ys-Wing;

ing door or wall portion I3. The Wall I Qinfrealitfy `drawings an elongated hinge 20 extends across 2 gurje Zi'eftliefdrawlilg's teajferwejrdly'hd de rlwerdl'y inclined pesitlen'as lbest illustrated l'nr die sefthedrdwlligs.

. il lngated'brush"element encirclestlefperl'hey fof/the lewerferid f tpe heed lA. 'Tpi's bfrushcoriiprises ail'elonga't'ed stripof'bristles L2 I wlllehegteds'dlepgtilereerwell it and around thejblsed end' wall "22 1'of the body. As indicated i n Figures 4 and 5l of the drawings the rearfwll I 5'as'vlfell` as the"endwalls and' theportion of the fr ontwallbeyond the ends f the swingable inemb`r I'B "are grooved or 'ntched'-at23 so that the bristle '2| mey'extend substantially hush withthe outer surface of the`sewalls. A lclamping s tirlp I2 4 extends edtwerdly ef tile upper beiiijnd e'dgebf the -bristle `Ystrip "2IA`s'o 'as to clamp the bristlefstrip in "pla'ce 'against the body. The clar'ripig'strip 2`4'is held iniplaceibyfspacedbap tachment of the tool A to the handle I0 or-to-tl=`l`e -tut'ulerl suction eon'neetion. These `set screws 3l tidy-*either -'ele;nlpftne=head tightly-teinte handle I'll'or mayv`v extend into-a peripheral vgroove about tthe handle to permit 'relativefrotation 'between the head and the handle, if such pivoting-action i6 An *observation of Figuresland ofthedrawings will also indicate that the rear wall I-51is providedwith aj-laterally extendinglip 32 which extends forwardly and partially closes the lower fend-of the-head opening. When the `swingable wall I9 is 'in vertical psition illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings,'the` space 33b'etwe'en the forv""vlar'd 'edge of the lip"32 and the rear's'urface of tl'lfe'wallf f9'is'relatively`narrow so that the ve-V 0 loity of air passing through this opening is relatively high. when the swingende''wall la' lsfplvlted ilto the 'position illustrated in Figur?? 5""of 'thedrawings, the` space `33 between the lip "32a`n'd *til-e3- rear" suifacefoif the 'well lll-'ls' relatively large 4 n and the velocity of the air passing through this opening into the head is relatively lower.

In order to prevent air from entering the head between the ends of the bristle strip 21 on the hinged wall I9 and the adjacent portions of the bristle strip 2|, I may provide shields 35 at opposite ends of the swinging wall I9. These shields 35 extend rearwardly from the end edges of the wall I9 to close any gap ybetween .the bristles of the Etwo bristle 's'trips and thereby 'prevent air from entering through a gap in the bristle strip and thereby reducing the eiciency of the cleaner head.

rihe bpration of the tool is believed obvious `from the foregoing description. When the head -is placed 'il'pn the floor or other surface to be leanel lthe ilo'werfedge of the bristle strips contact the iloor or surface and form a bristle wall thriigh which or about which air must pass in order to enter the suctidn head. As a result the particles of dust other l)foreign -m'a'teial's fon the lxsurface :are agitated by the bristles and loosened thereby so that Ithey may -eas'ily Eenter gehad.,

When-thehead is-'moved inta forwarddirectinithe frictionof th'ebristle 'strip 27 againsttlle liobrj' or surface being kcleaned Vswings the hinged wall ISt'dwairdthe `xed wall I 5 moving theiparts into fthepositin illustrated in Figure 4 fo'f tlie drawings. When'inthisp'osition 'thefsp`ac'e333` betwee'nth-e flx'edlip j-3'2 and the hinged forward wall I`9 is relatively sinall land air is drawn ilito the head1 a't highveloci'ty.

As y'the cleaner head `is vmoved Lin a lrearward direction A"the "friction f theblisl'ile 'strip 2`l -on the surface jbeing 'cleaned tends 'to swing this strip 'fqrwe'rdly into the Aposition illustrated in Figure i5 -of v'the drawings. This automatically increases thesze'of'lthe lspace-'33 between the `lip 32 and 'thejhrged Awall l9 Aand permits the dislodgln'en't of fforig'n *materials from the bristles and `:'perlrlits the :passage throughA the 'head -df Iarg'eobjects-whih were previously blocked from 'Y entering l the7 head by theI relatively small-'sizeof the restriction 33. A VIt 'ha-s been 'found :that certain particles and 'objects-arelndre `4easil'ypiek'ed up'byithe head Y 'witnen-theiswlnglngaveli isfln the position illusof the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Iclaim:

1. A vacuum cleaner head comprising an elongated hollow body provided with spaced front and rear walls deiining an elongated opening, an elongated notch in said front wall and eX- tending part way across the width thereof, said notch being adjacent to and in communication with said opening, a closure member hingedly secured along its upper edge to said body to normally close said notch, a pair of inturned shields on the opposite ends of said closure member in sealing relationship with the ends of said notch, the inner edges of said shields being spaced from said rear Wall when said closure member is in closed position to thereby provide communication to utilize the entire length of said elongated opening When vacuuming with the closure member in said closed position.

2. A Vacuum cleaner head comprising an elongated body provided with spaced front and rear walls and connecting end walls defining an elongated opening, said front and rear walls being substantially vertical and parallel, an elongated 2 notch in one of said walls, a closure member hingedly secured along its upper edge to said one wall to normally form a continuation thereof DELOS R. WOOD.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 965,315 Moorhead July 26, 1910 1,597,855 Zahorsky Aug. 31, 1926 1,782,308 Luckensmeier Nov. 18, 1930 1,935,158 Lumley Nov. 14, 1933 2,140,874 Juelson Dec. 20, 1938 2,204,128 Ell June 11, 1940 2,235,674 Forsberg Mar. 18, 1941 2,241,776 Dahl May 13, 1941 2,511,238 Beede June 13, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 30,833 Sweden May 20, 1911 168,700 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1934 457,394 Great Britain Nov, 27, 1936 

